Exploring the advantages of warehouse forklift lithium battery

It should be emphasized that the difference between a lithium battery forklift and a conventional electric forklift is not only as simple as replacing a battery. Wisdom Power staff told reporters that lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries are two different systems of power batteries, the battery principle is not the same, lead-acid battery forklifts instead of lithium battery forklift is not a simple battery switch, which involves a The complete system matching and technical support is a transformation of a new technology and structure, which requires sufficient technical reserves and experience to achieve.

First of all, the consistency of the battery.

Power battery products need to have high consistency in order to achieve safety, high energy density and good high and low temperature performance. It is understood that Wisdom Power’s battery production base currently uses one of the best automated production lines in China, with high precision, high speed, high intelligence, etc., to ensure the precise control of intelligent automation in the battery production process, to ensure the consistency of battery production requirements. . The key processes of the entire production line are equipped with precision production equipment in the industry, and are also equipped with an automatic assembly line independently developed by Wisdom Power, representing the current equipment technology level of Wisdom Power.

Second, the compatibility of the power management system (BMS).

As a real-time monitoring, automatic equalization, intelligent charging and discharging electronic components, the battery management system plays an important role in ensuring safety, extending life and estimating remaining power. It is an indispensable component in power and energy storage battery packs. It ensures the safety and uptime of batteries and vehicles through a series of management and control.

It is understood that companies such as Wisodm Power have adopted a power management system designed and manufactured by themselves to achieve the state of vehicle performance, efficiency, safety and comfort.

The technical director also mentioned that most of the current lithium-ion forklifts are based on the body of lead-acid batteries, and they do not play the role of small size and high energy density of lithium batteries. In this regard, he suggested that the relevant enterprises should design the vehicle according to the size of the lithium battery, making the model more compact and more convenient to operate.

What are the advantages of lithium-ion batteries for forklifts in warehouse applications?

● Because a lithium-ion forklift body is two feet shorter than a lead-acid body, an operator can work in tighter places. This is very handy for loading trucks and operating in narrow aisles.

● Less heat is generated during charging and discharging.

● Better rear lift truck visibility because the battery is smaller.

● Li batteries are lighter (also a perceived disadvantage, see below).

● They are longer lasting. More than 100% more life, claims Kalmar.

● They charge faster than lead-acid batteries. A LiB can absorb 50% of its capacity from a boost charge time of just 30 to 40 minutes. After 80 minutes a LiB can reach full charge status. Boost charging makes it possible to use LiB equipped lift trucks for up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without changing batteries.

● LiBs have higher energy efficiency and eliminate the need for a battery change after three shifts. Lithium-ion, and in particular Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) is particularly good when it comes to industrial battery use.

● LiBs last five times longer than lead-acid, batteries.

● Also, LiBs don’t have the voltage sag that lead-acid batteries to suffer from. They give a full charge until exhausted.

● They do not have any sulfation issues or safety issues with outgassing. So ventilation systems are not necessary for charging areas.

● LiBs are much safer.

● Over the lifetime of the battery, it costs less relative to the alternative.

What are the disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries for forklifts in warehouse applications?

Li batteries are lighter and because the weight of a lead-acid battery acts as a counterweight on a forklift, anyone offering a LiB on a forklift has to compensate for the lost weight in the design of the truck or battery casing. Forklifts can be designed around this shortcoming and additional counter weights can be added.

The battery requires a management system. Lead-acid batteries are dumb, but that’s ok. LiBs will become damaged if they don’t have a management system on it. This added complexity means there are more potential problems, and opportunities to damage the battery.
Because of the newer technology, there are fewer options for recycling at the end of life. That said, over time better and cheaper recycling options will become available.

From an energy perspective, Li-ion is about four times lighter than lead-acid batteries, but it will cost about six to seven times more (data from mid-2016), but prices are dropping fairly quickly.
Cost is still a factor relative to lead-acid battery technologies, however, it is dropping by half each year and should be the same or cheaper than lead-acid technology by 2020.

The safety of lithium batteries.

In the normal use of lithium batteries, there is no problem, but even if the technical level of lithium batteries is high, there is a small safety hazard. If the lithium battery is used improperly, the lithium battery may leak or even explode.

Therefore, the development of lithium batteries for forklifts is a trend. When choosing a lithium battery, we must look for a big brand. At present, many domestic brands have no formal qualifications. Although the price is cheap, they cannot be guaranteed after sale. Wisdom Power is a brand that specializes in the production of lithium batteries. Its products have undergone many factory tests and the quality is guaranteed. The above is all the advantages of the forklift lithium battery, I hope to help everyone’s reference.